Clippers Collapse

[GratefulCs]

Griffins points are gonna be hard to make up .

He is a rebounding machine as well .....rock steady


CP3 will have to play like a 23 year old or like he used to in New Orleans to take up the slack

He'll be hurt with in 15 games trying to be THE Man again.

Ya know, thats a good point


Paul is already a little gimpy. Maybe his body cant handle the heavy load anymore


In any event, this is such an interesting side story for us

[Nerf DPOY]

Telfair to the rescue (rumored the Clipps are considering)? I didn't see that coming....

http://www.hoopsrumors.com/2015/02/clippers-considering-sebastian.html

[mef730]

At this point, it's still going to be tough to push the Clippers into the lottery.  30 games left in the season and the Clippers are 4 ahead of Phoenix, 5.5 ahead of New Orleans and 6.5 ahead of OKC.  They need two of those teams to pass them.  I'm assuming that OKC will be the most likely team to pull ahead, if somebody does (The other two are pick 'em.), but statistically, it's still going to take a really horrible run for LAC to fall out of the playoffs.  The plus side is that they have one of the hardest schedules in the league over the next few weeks. 

Seems like every other game in the next six weeks is against Houston.  Can somebody who's more knowledgeable than I am tell me a little about Houston's chances without Howard?

If LA stays in the playoffs, which I think they will, they'll also be above a bunch of teams in the East.  I think we're looking at about an 18 pick, which is certainly better than the alternative.

Mike

[Chris22]

Telfair to the rescue (rumored the Clipps are considering)? I didn't see that coming....

http://www.hoopsrumors.com/2015/02/clippers-considering-sebastian.html

Doc is going small.

Going small = Losing

[saltlover]

The Clippers are in serious trouble.  They have very little room available under the hard cap.  Their only expiring of greater than a minimum salary is DeAndre Jordan, whom they really can't trade right now.  They can't trade a first until 2019, and can't trade an unprotected 2nd until that time either.  They've been getting nothing from the small forward, in large part because Griffin can carry the frontcourt scoring load.  Now he's gone, they still have that hole at small forward, and Redick is out too.  Their trade assets amount to Matt Barnes' partially guaranteed contract, rookie CJ Wilcox, and picks 5 or so drafts out. 

Right now their healthy roster is Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and a bunch of players who probably wouldn't start for the Celtics (although Crawford would get starter minutes, I admit.)  Given their upcoming schedule, things really can go south in a hurry for them.  If Griffin misses 6 weeks, and the Clips are still in the top 8 when he returns, Doc will have earned the draft pick they gave up to get him.

[Mr October]

I am excited about the clippers falling in the standings. The celtics should get the 20th pick from them.

However I did the math, and unless we see 2 miracle runs from the Suns, Hornets, Thunder, there is no way the Clippers are going to fall out of the playoffs.

Let's say Griffin is out a month, I expect them to go 4-7 in his absence. The schedule is rough for them. But then the schedule softens a ton, and they should get back to .600 ball.

I think the clips still win 50 games. The other mentioned teams would have to go between .700 and .750 the rest of the season in order to have a shot at catching 50 wins.

[Rondo9]

The Suns and the Thunder are fighting for their playoff lives. I could see them surpassing the Clippers if the Clippers fall.

[Mr October]

The Suns and the Thunder are fighting for their playoff lives. I could see them surpassing the Clippers if the Clippers fall.

Th trick is they are fighting against the brutal west. The Suns need to win 70% and the thunder 75% of their games in order to bump out the clippers.

[Rondo9]

It depends on what the Thunder and Suns schedule is.

[hwangjini_1]

I am excited about the clippers falling in the standings. The celtics should get the 20th pick from them.

However I did the math, and unless we see 2 miracle runs from the Suns, Hornets, Thunder, there is no way the Clippers are going to fall out of the playoffs.

Let's say Griffin is out a month, I expect them to go 4-7 in his absence. The schedule is rough for them. But then the schedule softens a ton, and they should get back to .600 ball.

I think the clips still win 50 games. The other mentioned teams would have to go between .700 and .750 the rest of the season in order to have a shot at catching 50 wins.

20th pick probably about right. though with more luck the celtics might get something in the 17 to 18 range. but any of these beat being in the mid 20s.

all in all, good news for the celtics.

oh, and big baby was taken off the court in a wheel chair due to a back injury. this could get interesting.

[beantownboy171]

It depends on what the Thunder and Suns schedule is.

Just a quick look at the schedule I would say (from easiest to hardest) the schedules go:

1. Pelicans
2. Thunder
3. Suns
4. Clippers

The suns have a pretty tough schedule down the stretch. So we need anthony davis to get healthy and for the thunder to get on a roll in order to put pressure on the clippers.

But as others have said, at least this development puts the Clippers in the 19-22 range rather than the 24-26 range that was looking probable last week.

I've thought all season that a Chris Paul injury is the only thing that could push them out of the playoffs. But we'll see, its been a good week for that draft pick.

[saltlover]

I am excited about the clippers falling in the standings. The celtics should get the 20th pick from them.

However I did the math, and unless we see 2 miracle runs from the Suns, Hornets, Thunder, there is no way the Clippers are going to fall out of the playoffs.

Let's say Griffin is out a month, I expect them to go 4-7 in his absence. The schedule is rough for them. But then the schedule softens a ton, and they should get back to .600 ball.

I think the clips still win 50 games. The other mentioned teams would have to go between .700 and .750 the rest of the season in order to have a shot at catching 50 wins.

Suppose they do go 4-7 over the four weeks Griffin is out, and that they do go 11-8 over the rest of the season (approximately that .600 ball you're talking about) -- that's 15-15 over the final 30 games, which would give them a 48-34 record.  Below are the records and winning percentages the 8-10 teams would need to equal a 48-34 record (I don't remember how tiebreakers work to know if 49 wins is the target they should have):

Phoenix -- 19-11, .633 winning pct (currently .558)
New Orleans -- 21-10, .677 winning pct (currently .529)
Oklahoma City --22-9, .710 winning pct (currently .510)

It's certainly unlikely, but it's not ridiculous to think it could happen either.  Phoenix is on a 46-win pace currently -- getting to 48 isn't out of the question at all.  New Orleans would probably have to play at a different level than they've been at all year to get there.  So too would OKC, obviously, but they definitely have the capacity to play championship level basketball for the rest of the season.

Also, this assumes that Griffin does come back after 4 weeks and is playing at Blake Griffin levels pretty much the day he returns.  If he is out longer and/or is not at full strength when he returns, 48 wins on the year might be pushing it.  And it's much less of a stretch to think that two of those teams could get to 46 wins, for example, rather than 48.  I still wouldn't bet on it at even odds, but at the same point it makes sense to start considering odds now.

[Chris22]

The Clippers could easily go 1-6 over the next 7 games.

[hwangjini_1]

The Clippers could easily go 1-6 over the next 7 games.

not enough [dang it]!!! i want they to lose 9 of their next 7 games!!!!!! 

[SHAQATTACK]

Even when he comes back .....it may take a few games to work back to full speed.